Hong Kong-based Dorsett Hotels & Resorts, a Far East Consortium subsidiary, has set plans to expand in the UK with a £700-million investment to open new properties in London and Manchester, according to a report from The Telegraph.
The group plans to develop five or six hotels across the cities in the next few years. Dorsett already has two operating hotels in London boroughs Aldgate and Shepherds Bush. The 13-story Dorsett City, London opened in 2017 with 267 guestrooms and suites next to Aldgate tube station and St Botolph's Church.
Dorsett will open conventional hotels along with an apartment-style property under its Dorsett Residences brand to target travelers looking for longer stays. The company is also aiming to meet the co-working space demand in the cities with the redevelopment of the Hornsey Town Hall building. “We want to develop these things in the UK first and will look to roll similar sites out in Europe and Asia in the future,” Winnie Chiu, CE of Dorsett Hotels & Resorts, told The Telegraph.
This is the most recent leg in Dorsett Hotels' expansion across Europe. It follows the company's acquisition of a firm with hotels in Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic.
The hotels will also expand Far East Consortium's presence in the UK. The company recently acquired Manchester's Angelgate development site in a £5.2-million deal. Far East Consortium has already received planning permission to develop the site into approximately 350 homes.
Far East Consortium's portfolio also includes 14 hotels across Asia in Hong Kong, China, Singapore and Malaysia. The group has a new hotel under construction in Malaysia and four planned in Australia. Far East Consortium also owns a car parking business in Australia.